Pliers



Jun 26,1945. SR. bccj-uuo 2,378,909

PLIERS Filed Dec. 24, l942 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR lunlgy/fiocclu'no,

. ATTokNEY June 26, 1945.

sQR. BOC-CHINO 2,378,909

'PLIERS Filed- Dec. 24, 1942 3 Sheets-Sheet s I ATTORNEY Patented June 26, 1945 PLIERS; 3 t stan ynno miie, rnnaaemniarar Application December 24, 1942", :SerialrNa 43.9;990 l 1o eis ms. (01. 81-549) The present invention relates to tools of the character having pivoted crossed handles and more particularly to a device combined with an Ordinary pair of pliers for transforming the pliers intoa toolwhich can grip an object andbe'loeked inrgri pping position. p

Some df the objects of the present invention are: to provide an improved tool for gripping 'pjtnpuses'; "to provide an attachment for a pair of pliers to increase the eifectiveness of the grip thereof; "to provide an attachment for ypliers wherein the usual operation "of thepliers can be "carriedputin anormal manner; to provide means in combination witha pair "of pliers to prevent spreading -of 'thefhandles once the jaws havetaken 'a p on an article; to providea devicefor use L with a "pair of pliers whereinprovision is made "fprhdldingan initial grip on an object fandfthera "after causing a locking action to function to maintain suchinitial grip; toprovide 'a combined tent E5 fixed-to the handle to at sucha distance from the end thereoifas will leave sumeient space for the hand of the user to "obtain :a good grip thereon, lateh- [6 having teeth 1 suspended b-ya' pivot "l 8 them the handle 1 and the "rela- 5 tion between the :pivot l3 and the detent i5 is such that-in 5 all" operative positions of the handl'es the-detnt" I 5 aritomatibally engages one or the latohgteeth lfl. shown, the pivot end of the latch this "offset "sd'that the lateh can be 1 swung to an inoperative position alongsideof the "pair of pliers and device whereby thepliers 'can :functi'on "to establish initial grip or bite, "and thereafter the deviee can function to inoreasethe "initial 'grip or bite and finallyto vl'ock the pliers in ft'he'gripp'ing position; and to provide .otherimgprovementsaswillihereinafterjappear.

In the accompanying drawings, Fig.1 repre "sents a side elevation of a pair of pliers equipped "with one "form of thefpresent invention f'Figmz represents :a plan of the same; Fig. 3 represents a detail showing the initial gripping position of the parts; Fig. 4 represents .a detail showing the looking position-of the parts; Fig.5 represents a detail or the mounting of the control lever, such dtailbeing'from thejside oppositjeitojthatofFig. 1 1;; Fig. '6 represents the detail of-Ei'g. 5, with the control member in lokingposition; Fig.7 represents a side e'levationof a modified form of the invention; Fig.8 representsta detail in side-elevatiion .of the modified form showing thelplier hanp, dleand'holding means in the initial .gripping po sition; :IEig. 9 represents the same showing the handles ,fiexedunder the influencewof the Control-j sents aside elevationof another form of the inelevation lfrom the side :opposite to Fig. fill, and

showing the :parts -in initial gripping position; and Fig. 14 represents thedetail ofFig 13 with th'eparts inlockedqe' ipping position. a

Referring -to the drawingabne,form ,of the: mitesent invention .isshown as applied to the;-

-orossed handles! i] and M of arpair of lpliers said ihandleszb'eing ,pivoted at 12, and terminatinglra :Speotively in-the usual clamping jaws -l3 and i4.

isition, this form of the invention employs ra dew back suffieiently far to*haveymoved arm'flll'along 'spriirgll to a position 'belowthe ter-of "free .endpjffspring 2|," Be'fore farm"ZDFreaQhesthiS V positidnithe action'of spring 2! tendsto hold arm zpfin a forward positiom thereby idrqing" lateh lfi'up tdan'd alongsidehandle I I, while the spring iling means jinllocked position; Fig. 110 represents .lfi tojengage theinner faceof the ngngie 1:1 and thus, not .oril ylirnits the travel of jthe latph =16 grip end' 'of the handle ll, while the contouref thellaitch is preferably, 'such as toconform to this handle-grip part. Thus; when the latch is not infuse it liesineonspicuously beside the handle =I-'l and cannot interfere with the usual operation-or the plier s. The latch l li has a short arm 21] passing "transverse oi'the handle -l l where it is enga'ged byfth'e free end ef aflat spring 2 l ,=whioh' iis fast"to the 'outer face -of"the fhanclle HL The opposite side of this" arni"'20 is formed with a. groove Z-Zto receive the shaped *freeendl of a second fiat fspring 23qocatedfin juxtaposed alined relation to the spring 2;! .j By th is eoi 'istr uotion, the *spring II actSYupOn thee-rm 21! to press the latch 1'6 towardsfthe'detent l5."-Ihisspring-action takes effect after :thurri b piece 28 has "been pulled he described, in "its "inoperative position. spring 2.3 thus 'tends'tohold iateh iatut u to thetact that spring "23 .is .of lesser *hhlding strength-than pring 1 1", "the orward p sh o e loperator's thumbDnflatch 2.6 will alloyv spring 523,1501di58n gage from gr e?! ofa m llrwh t eate holding strengthbf spring "21 will eontin'ue "to 1101s teeth "lT'in lath it againstdetent s. in moving to this latter position; the ar1n--2ll ;de-

,fieets the springZ-S so that its end snaps int'oithe biil'ilpmperlylpbatles it la'esjidethe arm nihen 'itiis ,not .inpse. fThe pivot '18 traverses a yoke '25 formed as part [of ailever; 26, which is pivote t the handle I! andjwhienalso mounts the spring "going; it nvbe evident thatjwhenithe latoh f6 is in 'operative ghosition, fheT10Sll1flg0f thef plier ,jaws up'onan object win oauseflthe latchteethto vriiie over the detent l 5 until a grip i's' established upo t e o ject; whe eii q i hF'n t h n tooth or tneimt h lfl i winb e pressed into-position fZhand'thus retainaninitialgrip i Y :baokpflthed en by heac on'q th s rin traverses the yoke 25 parallel to the pivot I8 and between that pivot I8 and the handle I I. The construction is such that when the lever 26 is swung outwardly to its limit position the latch pivot I8 will be at one side of the vertical plane of the pivot pin 21, while when the lever 26 is swung substantially parallel and in close proximity to the handle II, then the latch pivot I8 will be at the other side of the vertical plane of the pivot pin 21. The transition from one lo cation to the other occurs with a snap action as the pivot I8 passes dead center in either direction of movement. When the lever 26 is in inoperative position, that is substantially at right angles to the handle II, the pivot I8 is in one limit position relatively close to the handle II, but when the lever 26 is shifted to operative position, that is substantially parallel to the' handle II, the pivot I8 is in the other limit position and thusspaced an appreciable distance from the handle I I. This radial increase'serves to pull the latch I6 toward the handle II, and therefore when the detent I5 is engaging a latch tooth to maintan an initial bite'the increment of movement-of the latch, due to the action of the lever 26, so increases the pressure upon the detent I5 as -to!form' a positive look upon the object held by the pliers. When so locked the hands of the user can be entirely removed from the plierswithout the objectbeing released. I

For convenience in use the lever 26 is mounted to swing towards the jaw end of the pliers and has a position such that it can be readily moved by a forward'push of the thumb of the user. To facilitate the retracting'or interlocking movement of the lever 26, a thumb piece 28 is formed on or otherwise attached to the lever 26 in a convenient place to be engaged by the thumb on the hand whichjis manipulating the pliers. I Theoperation of the pliers with this form of the invention is as follows: If the pliers are to be used in the ordinary manner of pliers without such a locking attachment, both the lever 26 and the latch I6 lie unobtrusively along the handle II and donot in any way interfere with an effective hand grip or the proper use of the pliers. When, however, the locking action of the attachment is required, .the thumb piece 28 ispulled back, raising lever 26 to operating position, and at the same time bearing against the end of lever I6, thus forcing the latter also into operating position against'detent I5, where the spring 2I holds it while permitting the necessary with respect to the pivot pin 21 and the third point of load stress, the point of contact between a selected tooth of teeth I! and detent I 5, sothat the resilience of the flexed handles causes the lever 26 to be held in looking position. Thus,

a complete positive locking position of all of the flexing action to allow the detent I5 to ride over the teeth as the plier handles are drawn together. The jaws I3 and Mare now straddled about the object to be gripped and the handles I0 and I I drawn together in the ordinary manner until the jaws grip the object. Thehand grip is applied to so flex the handles that the detent I5 seats back of the then adjacent latch tooth and thus gives an initial firm grip on the ing the lever 26 to its lower position close to the handle whereupon the pivot I8 swings to the law side of the: pivot pin 21 and thereby increases object. This gripf can now be increased by pressposition of. the handle I0 before the initial grip is established as shown in full line position B. In Fig. 4 the dotted lines represent the initial gripping position B, corresponding to position B r of Fig. 3, while the full lines C, show the final flexing which creates the increased grip ofthe plier jaws on the object and the look upon the object. l

In the form of the invention shown in Figs.;'? to 10, a latch 30 is mounted to swing aboutapivotfil which passes transversely of thechannelled sides of a lever 32 pivoted at 33 to the end portion of a plier handle 34. Aspring 35 is coiled about the pivot 3| and has one end fixed to the lever 32 and the other end bearing against a lug 36 which projects from the latch 30 to traverse an arcuate slot 31 in the side of the lever 32 This slot 37 has the pivot 3i as a center to allow the latch 30 to swing to a position in close proximity to the handle 34, when not in use. two pivots 3I and 33 is thefsame as described for the preferred form of the invention shown in Figs. 1 and 6, namely the latch pivot 3I operates on a radius from the pivot 33 and can snap past the dead center point to increase the gripping action of the latch and thus form a positive lock. The tension of the spring 35 constantly acts to swing the latch 30 towards the inner side of the handle 34. The latch 33 is of channel shape and. of a length to intercept the endof the other handle 38 when moved to its operative position. Also, it is curved on an are having the pivot 40 of the pliers as a center and therefore when the handles 34 and 38 are brought towards each other, the end of the handle 38 rides along the inner face of the latch. For interlocking purposes, this inner face is formed with a plurality of closely spaced stops M, which, as shown, are struck inwardly from the material of the latch. Thus, there are a succession of stops AI, one of which is automatically selected by the handle 33 when handle 34 in the bend 29 in the free end of spring 42. Latch 30 is resiliently urged against the end of handle 38 by coil spring 35, as shown in Fig. 8. .With the jaws juxtaposed to an object to be gripped, the handles are relatively moved toward each other by hand in the usual gripping action, causing the end of handle 38 to pass successively over the series of stops 4| until resistance to gripping increases to a point at which the jaws attain an initial grip on the object as the end of handle 38 engages in the appropriate stop 4!. The lever 32 is then swung down to parallelism with the handle 34 during which movement the pivot 3I moves upwardly in an are about pivot 33 to a point just past dead center, in which relative position of the pivots the lever 32 is automatically looked as shown in Fig. 9. When not The relation of the sp ing .63 against wiel qwithe eonte ro t e new 1.6

senses the ea in device.

in amine. less; 1 1 isi-.-nes .ieni .heldaeaiast haaiile M in an: a iflat mitten at ham e sham l ieh pqfii iifili .5 il. M.

handle 34 by coil signing :35,

3llis held against easiinwniinifi'ig iii i t n en shew; 313?? ,lie alle e .5" channel ...1tl1$; i i; in secei a. meets an h ed .laieh iffihfi. slei h 811s TP 'Q idQQ wit a plurali y sell ... a d ii nsverse. s eps :50 am, m aleu ees ien .Qf ets struck e-la ehe lenet zoi 911 ii nee mater a c .1 zletch 55.8 is suchpas to overlie the. end .of :the

' in al sh ppin p sitions em l hand e ueh 111 e it, ce tact a detent :52 line i m z -e :5 air: ime to fillmwfln Qq wit .Qne Q flihBS QD :50. A .0011 seems L, is stffiiifihfi between the hand e i5 and the a qh A8 in wid r .te hold thesleiem 5:2.- ..Aise this sprin =54 :faeilitates heldi ethe aten 41 b side th handle 45 when he when be used without ope ating the Q fi ll :aitaeknnent- The ever 53 is of channel 2 1.??? i120 ii d e vibe handle and is shaped :to handl 15 so that when ha dle it is unobtrusive and 'ifilfi fid zfl fiii fit =the does. n t in ert e the pliers. shown; the lever 53 is mounted -;two ,eslind pivots 55 respectively ,carriedcby two rin 55 :ia iened to and ro ec i w d y 9. 2th? handle 51. ,A:'fi&11a D i 51-15 :jouma t l ne len iaineut Lawpi s58 whiehltrav nses ithe side m st ee handl .51- "Fr m the pin 58 the sp' e {5H nassesvbe eathaifixecl in 50 andkten nma es in a i iiset end p rtion bear n i s bangle ;5;| -ineefnab1-y the pin :58 Seats a ierme in :the. sp ine to limit dzhe ill fii id swin =0! ,he lever :53 while allowing the spring slide along the handle when {the :lever isemne was inner (11% ildetent {allowing ,the movement tof :the lever l 53 about the pivot :55, a supplemental outward v 1 unemthelatchn is saw have obtained .an in Thus when the lever 53 the :hanelle .5! the supplemental pull transmitted by the shiftin of .izhe .detent .to aitnew position tph A8 ;t o "be drawn ztig'hter .ancllse ik haind'les-tetcneate such an increased :pressure between the .eletent lee}: the parts together, after the point ofnon. ent il iween the detent. 5.2 and. :the particular exerted after the plier ial grip .upon an object.

stop on latch filthen in use has passeddead cen;

:When so adjusted; the hanclpf. the user can :be neleasctl while te in nelaiion to pivots 5.5 and A1.

eause the handle to flex sufflcientlysothat the holding .detent islield under pressure in the selected latch stop. i

Havingthus described my invention, I claim:

1. In combination, a pair of pliershaving a th Batch 48: against with the usual'epenationpf 52 and theiatch 48 to The action of this pull-is m i mmeamnne. giiinninejews respectively onisaid handlessaid. handleszhaning length me he arespeqicr manuaL-cmration of said saws, :a'llatfih mvotauy lcanriediey .one xhandle ads acent the end it-hereci and of 1 a i'len-gt'h to .en.-

spring means nonmall-y .psessing said lateh to; Wards :said pant -to biting a (step into latching "enc' gagement :withsaid @part :to hen said jaws i-in grippin pqsitien, and supplemental handlewm- 1 traoting means associated with saisl l-aitch and position alongside then-an.- I By :IYQQISQH of the-teccentricitnailel of the the 15e ppi s action n said Jaws as it mov s mo eneside ie the etherxs iie oi said .fixed-nivotand operable after the nitial jawj igripping to in erease the tension of and .1'10 lock said Iatch -to =2. combination- 0f a pair 01? pliers having ivoteq handles and object gripping jaws,

m ans efqr holding "said handles in positionto cause said -jaws to initially grip an object, and

as, on p vot mem with said; means "from one side tofthe other side of the gseconcl pivoty-said second pivot "being meun ed on one of saidf a l s. J

13. The eombinatio f a pa r qfpliers having Di tBQ han les and o ject gripping jaws "w th mean spanning '51 aneles to; holding said handl s. in an in tial-nominated e ati n a t r and means ina..p .mt sh ent r tip the Qthe s mg to Van said .centizac eq relation whe eby the ,gifi at said laws. an anlebiect is table it defo immasesi; said pimtp dismisesl the spannin meansa liasentioaliandle.

4.1m combination of a pair 6: pliers. flee ng pimt si hand e uane .ohiec slipping "jaws, with means spanning said handles for baldin said handles in an imt al. connected rrelatiqn after I said Jews hav gnppeiian .obi ch and a ecntroh ling meanslhaiziue an ,urality of positions for act-1 ins ppm; .se si melding. means, means. ineludin a side 01. saidviixed millet and amangegl to incre se telecktsaid laws gripping position-I ni p esl h ndles and abject grinning jaws,- a latch plii tal y maimed-.011 oth nhamlle iOrfiilgQgemelit by s id late to limit the sepa atien efsaid handles, a lever havine -a nivet en, ene handle means assecia ecl with 91. 6 .of the handlesancl includ ng a second "p mt sw neab e :fmm one side m said lever pivot 17011215 ther en ncreasin theens on an said latchand leakin s id latch in sunning ms-itien of said pressingsaid latch towards 6;. combination, a nai'r of pliers a pair at niweta ly eennectcd handles, shipping laws resnee ively on said handles, said handles haw.-

m .a len th .to be. .gi aspeel 'fQI' manual operation 0i: said flaws, ale-ten nfrilotally carried :by one. new die and :of a length totengage a pant .01 l-the sec-.- ondi'handiea plurality of stepson said latch for en agement. by said part, sprin means nor ally .saidlpart, and man ually opemble supplemental handle-contracting means- :pivotally mounted on a handle and engagingisaidilateh and operable after an mitial gripping of said jaws to increase the tension of "upon. said. object, enacting e one side of a dead r .cenixp l n said l ldsaid scentnellm fixed pimt .on ahandle anda moigablep wglg sai imwable pivot being. at ne e mhi at en of a pair of pliers havin lane handle, means on .the

rying the lever and to said handle in said first position of the lever,

- a second position, said prising a lever pivoted-to itsassociated handle and, having substantially arcuate stop-limited motion between a first and a second position, said lever having a pivotal connection with the tensioning latch means disposed on one side of the lever pivot longitudinally of the handle carin a given spaced relation which pivotal connection is movable with the lever to a position on the other side of the lever pivot longitudinally of the lever carrying handle and in greater spaced relation to the said handle in the second position of the lever, said latch means and operative couplings so arranged that with the lever in the firstposition and an initial manual tensioning of the handles being first applied aninitial longitudinal tension is then appliedto the tensioning latch means to maintain substantially a given initial grip on the jaws; said operative couplings and tension latch means being further so arranged as to increase the tenmeans to increasethe tensionsion on the latch ing of the handles in swinging the lever to and to urge it to remain in its second position and so asto lock the toolin a second gripping engagement.

.8. A gripping toolcomprising a pair of relatively movable handles, jaws operatively assowith the handles arranged for gripping movement as the handles move relatively together, tensioning latch means effectively carried by one handle one handle to the other, an operative coupling associating and anchoring the tensioning means with one handle, another operative coupling associating and temporarily anchoring the latch means with the other handle, a selected one 01' said couplings comprising a lever pivoted on its associated handle and having a substantially arcuatestop-lim'ited motion between a first and selected coupling further comprising ,a pivotal connection between the lever and tensioning latch means with the con nection in the firs-t position of the lever disposed on one side of the lever pivot longitudinally of its associated handle and in a given spaced relation to said handle and with the tensioning latch device under an initial tension arising from the manual tensioning of the handles in an initial gripping actuation thereof, said pivotal connection in the second position of the lever being disposed on the other side of the lever pivot longi tudinally of the same associated handle from its said first disposition and ingreater spaced relation to the said handle so that inswinging the lever from its first to its second positions there is developed and maintained an'increased tension on the tensioning latch means to enhance the tensioning of the handles to increase the gripping action of the jaws which also urges the lever to remain in its second position by requiring ina able tov extend from 1 otally connecting the tensioning latch device to the lever eccentric to the lever pivot, means for pivotally connecting the tensioning latch device to the other handle opposite to the one having the lever, the first mentioned pivotal connection I being at one side of the lever pivot longitudinally of the associated handle in the first lever position with the handles in a given spaced relation incidental to an initial gripping engagement of the jaws, said first mentioned pivotal connection moving with the lever to a position on the other side of the lever pivot longitudinally of the handle carrying the lever with the handles in a second spaced relation incidental to a secondary enhanced gripping engagement of the jaws with the lever in its said second position, the second ary enhanced gripping engagement of the jaws beingaccompanied by increased tension on the tensioning latch device by which the lever is forced against said stop surface from which it can only be dislodged. pursuant to a-momentary increase in tension of the'tensioning device be-'- tween the handles and thus locks the lever and thus the gripping tool in a gripping relation. I 10. A gripping tool comprising a pair of relatively movable handles, jaws operatively asso;

ciated with the handles arranged for gripping associating the tensioning 'latchmeans with one handle, another operative coupling associating the tensioning means with the other handle, the respective couplings being arranged to anchor the tensioning means and handles together with variable clearance between handles, said first mentioned coupling comprising a lever pivoted on its associated handle and having a substantially arcuate stop-limited motion a second position, said first mentioned coupling further comprising a pivotal connection between the lever and tensioning means with the connection in thefirst position of the lever disposed on one side of the lever pivot longitudinally of its associated handle and in a given spaced rela tion from said handle and with the tensioning latch device under an initial tension arising from the manual tensioning of the handles in' an initial gripping actuation thereof, said pivotal con nection in the second position of the lever being disposed on the other side of the lever pivot longitudinally of said associated handle from its said between a first and its said second position after swinging from its STANLEY R. BOCCHINO. 

